Report 1102
Special Report #1102 Skillset: Aerochemantics Skill: ForceGenerator? Org: Aeromancers Status: Completed Mar 2013 Furies' Decision: Enyalida: Solution 1 is too powerful, making this skill excessive. This would essentially make it a one-exit unstoppable greatpent (but with weird niche ways through), combined with a cheap, non-locked barrier. Get into a room with limited exits or multiple Aerochems and you can effectivly lock out opposition. Problem: A force generator allows the user to raise a forcewall over a single exit that is quite difficult, though not impossible, to pass through from either side. This requires that the aerchemantics user not perform almost any action in order to maintain the wall. (It appears to be the same as enchanting.) Maintaining a forcewall effectively removes the user from combat. This makes it particularly difficult to utilize in groups effectively. It currently has no power cost. 0 R: 0 Solution #1: Change raising a forcewall to consume three power. Change the wall to only be dropped if the raiser uses balance or equilibrium, or performs any healing action (sipping, eating herbs, reading scroll, etc.). 0 R: 0 Solution #2: 0 R: 0 Solution #3: In addition to solution one, make maintaining a forcewall have a periodic 'check' that is an aggressive action and therefore breaks shields. Player Comments: ---writes: will allow communication (only) while utilising ForceWall and add a power cost. There will be a periodic shield-dropping check on holding the wall. ---writes: Opposed. This report is a straight up buff that just makes it easier to maintain the forcewall. As Enyalida said, this makes the ability a one exit unstoppable greatpent/barrier. There are numerous situations where this is abusable, the most notable of which are certain domoths and the mountain villages. I'm not going to support any changes to make it easier to use as long as it effectively remains permanent. ---writes: Likewise, I disagree with the intent of this report to unduly buff Force. This proposal would skew it even further by removing the counterbalance of requiring concentrated effort for a power 'cost'. 3p is nothing for a set-and-forget mechanic solo, let alone a group. ---writes: For an ability that can be incredibly powerful in its current form and has little comparison beyond the greatpent ability (which is a transcendant), removing a balancing aspect such as the maintenance would make it far too powerful in more than one way. While it removes the aerochemantic from combat, it is balanced in the power of this ability to do what it does. Particularly with no power cost currently, there is balance to the cost/risk involved in using it. This is far from useless in its current form. As with the comments above, I do not support this. ---writes: Opposed. The counterbalance is needed. 3 power is nothing for a complete directional block. ---writes: Opposed, this is the wrong direction ---writes: Approve the new solution ---writes: The 3p power cost isn't going to do much (like the 1p cost for squall) given the context of the problem. I feel like the potential for a permanent one direction GP/barrier exists and this 'downgrade' does nothing to address it. It doesn't address the salting issue which will allow the aerochem to maintain this shield indefinitely too. I'd prefer if this report made it so you are either unable to be shielded while the forcewall is up OR there is an aggressive tick (that drops shields) every X seconds OR forcewall should have a duration/cooldown once used. ---writes: Supported with the addition of a periodic aggressive tick or cooldown as per Shuyin's suggestion. ---writes: I just want to note, re "potential for a one direction GP/barrier", I think that was exactly the point and intention of the skill. ---writes: I think the issue is less that it's a GP/barrier clone and more that there isn't much of a way to take it down once it is raised. This can effectively lock down an area, my thought specifically is a mountain village, with a skill that doesn't need to be maintained somehow, only costs 3 power (if changed) and only drops if they choose to make that decision. Even GP has a limit on how long it lasts and that's a trans power. There in lies the balance, while it looks like solution 1 is a balance to both sides with a power cost, that's nothing if all they have to do is stand there, get salted for a shield and have a boring revolt as they maintain the shield. I'll support the solution if the change is made as noted with Shuyin and Tacita above. ---writes: I agree with Kregarn. At the very least, if it is made easier to hold it up (or heck, even if not), it would make a lot of sense to me to just have it drop the shields (or even just prevent shielding) such as solution 2 provides. That way you are keeping the barrier active but allowing targeted actions the chance to do something about it. Strong skill, with a counter, as it should be. ---writes: I've put my original idea of the aggressive check back in. ---writes: Solution 2 would be greatly, greatly appreciated ---writes: I think solution 2 would be good as well here. I'm becoming more and more of the opinion that such skills need a bigger weakness.